Material handling apparatus



June 15, 1948. T. K. ANDERSEN UATBRIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed April 4, 1946 u N N Pu m n v Nm .e w W N m 1 Q m /0COCO\/ V M YB June 15, 1948. "r. K. ANDERSEN MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4, 1946 [N VE N TOR. THOMAS K AND EA? SEN- BY ATTORNEX Patented June 15, 1948 OFFICE MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUSThomas K. Andersen, Staten Island, N. Y. Application April 4, 1946,Serial No. 659,514

My present invention relates to material handling equipment. such aspower shovels or other loaders. and while not restricted thereto ispartlcularly designed for use with the power shovel disclosed in theAndersen Patent No. 2,182,781, dated December 12, 1939.

The main object of my invention is to provide an improved power driveassembly including speed reduction, clutch, and brake for the hoist drumof a power shovel or other loader, by means of which the bucket or otherreceptacle may be positively and reliably driven and controlled at alltimes in its movements from loading to dumping position. and vice versa.

Other objects and advantages will appear as this description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferredembodiment of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a power shovel equipped with my invention,certain parts being shown in section,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlargcd scale, of certainparts illustrated in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2.

The term bucket as used herein is used in its broadest sense to mean anydigging and/or loading implement, as a dirt bucket, snow bucket, backhoe, lifting fork, or the like, and the term "bucket arms as used hereinis likewise used in its broadest sense to mean any structure, whether apair of arms, or a yoke, or a boom, disposed in the fore and aft line ofthe vehicle, by means of which the bucket is pivotally supported on thetractor or other vehicle for swinging movements in an arcuate path overthe vehiclc.

Referring to the drawings, I have designated generally at a tractor orother vehicle on which is pivotally mounted a material holdingreceptacle which is actuated and controlled in its swinging arcuatemovements by the instrumentalities forming the subject matter of mypresent invention.

The tractor is provided with the usual driving and operating motor II,and is also provided with a roof l2 in and on which are arrangedmechanisms for controlling a bucket or other receptacle or unit l3.Bucket I3 is removably mounted at the rear ends of a pair of carryingarms l4. H are pivotally attached to the sides of the tractor frame atl5.

Associated with the motor II is a. power-take- The forward ends of arms-3 Claims. (Cl. 214-431) off shaft l6 through which power from the motorI I is derived for operating the bucket controlling means of my presentinvention. Fast on the outward or free end of the take-off shaft I6 is areduction unit comprising a bevel pinion l1 meshing with anddriving abevel gear I8 secured to the lower and I9 are rotatably mounted inbearings formed in a gear box 20, which encloses the pinion I1 and gearl8, as shown in Fig. 1.

Secured to the upper end of the stub shaft I9 is the lower end of auniversal joint 2|, the upper end of which is secured to vertical driveshaft 22. Shaft 22 extends vertically upward in front of the tractor,and at its upper end is connected through a universal joint 23 to thelower end of a stub shaft 24 (see Figs. 2 and 3). Stub shaft '24 isjournaled in a suitable bearing in a gear box 26' mounted at the frontend of the roof I2.

Fast to the upper end of stub shaft 24 within the gear box 26 is asecond reduction unit comprising a. bevel pinion. 25 meshing with anddriving a bevel gear 26, also enclosed within the gear box. Bevel gear26 is secured to the front end of a longitudinally extending stub shaft21 which is coupled conventionally to the driving part 2 8 of a clutchcomprising the driving part 28 and the driven part 29.

Driven clutch part 29 is secured to the clutch shaft 30 aligned withshaft 21 and rotating when the clutch is engaged. Shaft 30 extendsrearwardly through a clutch casing 3| mounted on the roof l2 in the rearof the gear casing 26.

Secured to clutch shaft 30 rearwardly of easing 3| is a bevel pinion 32meshing with and driving a bevel gear 33 secured to a transverselyarranged sprocket shaft 34. Shaft 34 is rotatably mounted in suitablebearings in a gear box 35 formed in the roof l2 and extends outwardly ateach end through the walls of the gear box. Fast on each end of shaft 34is a sprocket 36.

Mounted in the roof l2 behind gear box 35 is a hoisting drum enclosure43 in which is suitably mounted a drum shaft 39 arranged parallel tosprocket shaft 34 in the gear box 35. The

39 extend outwardly beends of drum shaft yond the sides of the drumenclosure 43 and at each end thereof carry a sprocket 38, in alignmentwith the sprockets 36 on the shaft 34. Trained over the sprockets 36 and38 are sprocket chains 31.

Within the drum enclosure 43 and secured to the drum shaft 39 is a cabledrum 40, and on either side of, and integral with said drum is 9.

end of a stub shaft l9. Shafts IS the lower end of a for said brakebucket assembly at the point 42.

Within the drum enclosure 43, in front of,

' adjacent to, and in alignment with the hoist idler sheave 45, securedto a I drum. 40, is an transversely arranged shaft 46 rotatably mountedin suitable bearings in the walls of the "drum enclosure.

Suitable means (not shown) for controlling the clutch members 28 and 29,the brake bands for the brake drums l4, and for the motor I l, arearrangedwithin convenient reach of the operator ofthe machine.

With the various parts constructed and arranged as above described, theoperation is as follows: The motor ll being running, the vertical shaft22 is in rotation, and, assuming the bucket l3 to be in the positionshown in-Fig. L the operator backs the tractor into the pile of materialbeing worked upon, until the bucket I3 is filled with such material. Theoperator then frees the brake bands (not shown) from the brake drums ll,operates the clutch control to bring the driving clutch element 28 intoengagement with the driven clutch element 29, whereupon the shaft 30through the intermediary of the pinion 92 and shaft 34 carrying thesprockets 36 at its ends. The sprocket chains 31 passing over thesprockets 36 and 38, rotate the shaft 39 and therefore the hoist druml0, causing the chain or cable 4| to be wound up onto the drum 40,lifting the bucket l3, with its load, upwardly and forwardly about thebucket arm pivots l5.

This upward movement of the bucket may be halted at any point bythrowing out the clutch 28, 29, and tightening the brake bands (notshown) on the brake drums 44.

The operator may then move the tractor to any desired point where theload of material in bucket I3 is to be dumped. Upon reaching this point,the operator will again start the lifting operation as above described,stopping such operation at or near the point where the bucket l3 passesthe vertical position. At this point the weight of the bucket assemblyand the load therein will swing the bucket l3 over center toward thefront of the tractor l0, whereupon the operator partially applies thebrakes to the brake drums M to slow the descent of the bucket. The chainor cable 4| will be out of engagement with the idler sheave 41 and thebight thereof will engage with the idler sheave 45. The bucket continuesto descend, with the brakes partially applied, and with the cable payingoff from the hoist drum 40, until, as it reaches the desired dumpingposition, the operator stops it by applying full brake. In returning theempty bucket to loading position, the operation just described isreversed,

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be evident that I have provided a simpleand regear '33, rotates the showing has been I out engaging the clutch,or for sition, the clutch liable power drive for actuating andcontrolling a hoisting unit.

It will be noted that the reduction gears l1 and I8, and 25 and 26, andthe sprockets 36 and 39. respectively, provide three distinct andindependent reductions by means of which the high speed of the tractormotor (usually around 1400 R. P. M.) may be reduced to approximately 40R. P. M. at the hoist drum. It is essential that the hoist drum rotateslowly, as compared with the speed of the tractor motor, in order thatthe available horsepower of the motor for lifting the loaded bucket maybe utilized without stalling the motor and better control of the bucketbe also secured.

If desired, the assembly may be provided with an automatic knock-out ofknown construction,

whereby when the bucket passes dead center going toward either itsloading or its dumping powill be automatically disengaged, after. whichthe operator may manually release the brake to allow the bucket todescend under control.

Likewise, if desired, the assembly may be provided with mechanism suchas that shown in the application of Carle Henry, Serial No. 659,464,filed April 4, 1946, for releasing the brake withreleasing the brakewhen engaging the clutch.

While I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of. my invention, Irecognize that the same may be variously modified to suit specialinstallations, and accordingly assert all such modifications to bewithin the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Pate ent is:

1. In combination with a vehicle having a roof and a motor, a bucketpivoted to the vehicle to swing vertically relative thereto over saidroof, a power drive assembly for driving and controlling said bucketincluding apower take-off shaft to be coupled to the vehicle motor, ahoist drum shaft mounted upon the vehicle roof and extendingtransversely thereof, a hoist drum on said drum shaft, a hoistconnection from said drum to said bucket, a cross shaft mounted upon thevehicle roof and extending transversely thereof and parallel to and inadvance of said hoist drum shaft, driving connections between said crossshaft and said drum shaft, a clutch shaft mounted upon the vehicle roofand extending longitudinally thereof and in advance of said cross shaft,driving connections between said cross shaft and said clutch shaft, a,clutch comprising a driving member and a cooperating driven member, saiddriven member being mounted on the clutch shaft, a stub shaft mounted onthe vehicle roof and extending longitudinally thereof and in advance ofand in alinement with said clutch shaft and operatively connected tosaid clutch shaft, and driving connections between said stub shaft andsaid power takeoff shaft.

2. The combination of claim 1, and an idler shaft interposed betweensaid drum shaftand said cross shaft and carrying an idler sheave.

3. The combination of claim 1, and a pair of brake drums on said drumshaft, one at each side of said drum, and an idler shaft interposedbetween said drum shaft and cross shaft and carrying an idler sheavespaced from and alined with said hoist drum.

- THOMAS K. ANDERSEN.

(References on following page) file of this patent:

Number 2,443,174 5 REFERENCES CITED gg r The fOllOWing references are ofrecord in the 2:252:837 2,266,770 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,316,7602,380,625 Name Date 2 39': 045 Francke Nov. 13, 1923 423:193

Manierre Sept. 2, 1924 6 Name Date Andersen eta! Dec. 12, 1939 DickeAug. 19, 1941 Kurtz et a1 Dec. 23, 1941 Andersen et a1 Apr. 20, 1943Zeilman et a1 July 31, 1945 Richey Mar. 19, 1946 Lawler July 1, 1947

